Another successful Christmas Shop
Sarah Bartenstein
Three years ago, St. Stephen’s began working with Communities in Schools to provide a Christmas shop for families of students at Fairfield Elementary School, our longtime partner in the East End. This approach gave parents and grandparents of Fairfield students the opportunity to select clothing, books, toys, games, and other gifts for their children—things they knew their youngsters would use and enjoy.
The pantry is the way we meet many who are in need; we will now offer additional, ‘wraparound’ services for those who desire them.
Food ministry promotes wellness through partnerships St. Stephen’s provides holistic approach for those we serve St. Stephen’s food pantry supplies nutritious food to 20 to 30 families each week. Thanks to a partnership with our farmers market vendors, patrons of the pantry are able to choose from an abundance of fresh produce in addition to shelf-stable dry goods. Three additional partnerships aide our patrons, if they wish, in taking a more holistic approach to their health and well-being. By Anna Jones First, insurance navigators from United Healthcare visit the pantry once a month to help shoppers choose from the dizzying array of the Medicare and Medicaid options available. Anyone enrolled in Medicare can appreciate how helpful it is to have a partner in this process.
Previously, generous parishioners had purchased gifts through an “Angel Tree” for children they did not know. Our staff and volunteers, along with representatives of the school, thought that a Christmas shop would be a welcome change for Fairfield families, providing a greater sense of dignity and self-determination—not to mention the joy of selecting and wrapping gifts for their families. Using this new model, parishioners consulted a list of gift suggestions in various categories and brought their purchases to the church. These items were transported to Fairfield where they were arranged by age and category in the gym. Just before the Christmas break, adults were able to come to the gym to shop for their children. Even during the pandemic, we have found ways to make the shop work, and 2021 was no exception. Thanks to you, we were able to provide Christmas gifts for 278 students. Not only did our parishioners (and those of other churches) provide the merchandise for the shop, our volunteers assisted parents on-site with wrapping and transporting the gifts.
Thanks to all for your participation.
Second, our pantry is designated a “wellness pantry” by Feed More. This means that Feed More gives us extra discounts on healthy food items, attractive signage for fresh produce in the pantry, and other logistical support. This designation as a wellness pantry has also led to a partnership with the American Heart Association, who will soon send nurses to the pantry to check patrons’ blood pressure and refer them to participating medical providers if they are at risk for hypertension. We are excited that through all these partnerships, we are able to provide patrons with shelf-stable pantry items as well as additional avenues to good health. Anna Jones manages our farmers market and coordinates our feeding ministries. 26
Parishioners brought items for the shop to church, where they were sorted before being transported to Fairfield.
SEASONS OF THE SPIRIT
